You're doing a good thing, kat!

And they'll be saving on rent AND on their other stuff, so they can definitely afford to pay you something. Yay for a job for Shane! That's great that came together so fast.

Did I tell you guys Lily got a job? She applied last Sunday, went on an interview Monday after VBS, then Friday after VBS had her first real shift. She just had her second or third? shift today. And she loves it! Retail is definitely the job for her, though she said the other day she hopes she gets to stay on the floor, and today she was on register and LOVES it so. IDC, as long as she's happy and has a job! She's making $12.50 an hour, only thing is, she has to pay $5 in gas to me whenever I take her LOL. The rule is, she has to pay to get her there and back, and we'll pay to get us home and back again to pick her up.

Right Mieke!! They'll be saving on rent like crazy. I'm not sure exactly how much they were paying, well over $1000, but less than $2000 a month. I'm only planning to ask them to pay like $600 a month, ($150 a week) but I might up that a little depending on how much the water/power bills go up. So they should have plenty of savings. PLUS they won't be paying those water/power bills or internet because that will be part of the rent and MOST places it is NOT! So that is more savings to them. I want to give them a break, a chance to pay off all the behind payments/debt whatever they have, and save for their own car, PLUS save for a place for themselves if thats what they want, but I am going to offer for them to stay at least two years (financially help ME until I finish college LOL) But I won't fault them at all if they'd rather move to their own place sooner.

Yes, you said she got a job! I am so glad she is happy with it!!

I normally don't let dogs back here but I don't want to have Daisy and Belle alone in the living room while I am on the computer, so Daisy is back here with me LOL AND THIS PLACE ISN'T CLEAN ENOUGH for a puppy!! She's already grabbed some of my low papers, my socks and a ball of yarn that was on the floor LOL NOT to mention trying to go into the bathroom AND the closet (I could close the bathroom door, but the closet door is blocked open by the dresser I have in there) And I need to take a shower and go shopping. Good thing she's already crate trained, so she'll go back in there when I do that shortly LOL Poor pup. She whined for a good hour last night when I put her to bed and went to bed myself. I thought keeping her in their room with their smells would comfort her more, but I think she knew she was alone

I don't think you have anything to worry about with Nathan. If he can handle an 18 hour video game play then he can handle the drive. Plus, I think it's showing how both of your boys are growing up that they help each other like this. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will get there, pack up, an be back before you know it. Take this time to relax as much as possible because with baby comes chaos. :D

You are right. I'm sure he'll be fine. We have done 6-7 hr road trips to my mom's before. Just not longer ones. He planned to sleep for a lot of it. And he had his phone and knowing him probably his switch. He texted me around midnight to let me know they got there. At least one of them thought to do that for me. My kids have always been good about helping each other, more so as they get older. If someone asks. No ask no help hahahah.

Oh yes. Baby chaos. I well remember it. I have tried to warn Nathan but I don't think he quite realizes... Lol but then again I think he could sleep thru a tornado so he will probably be fine. He sleeps thru Belle barking when the neighbor leaves for work. He slept thru Skittles and Belle whining at night or early in he morning due to storms or needing to pee ... He can sleep thru a lot of noise lol but baby noises are different sometimes.

Oh! Happy Birthday!!!

Thank you! Sushi for dinner tonight!

Baby chaos cannot be warned about, it can only be experienced.

He's going to love it when the little one starts searching out his game controllers and accidentally makes him die while trying to get the back. He'll learn. It is good that yours help eachother. Mine are scattered to the wind and rarely talk to each other let alone talk to me. Kids never do what you expect them to do, do they? :/ XD

Never had sushi Not sure I want to lol but I hope you enjoy it!!!

Well mine are kind of scattered. But help when they can, when asked. Nathan especially. He is a sweet boy. Shane does complain Katie never talks to him...but to be fair I imagine he never tries to talk to her either Katie and Nathan were always a bit closer and have each other on Snapchat or something. They don't text all the time but some.

Hahaha I doubt the baby will ever be allowed in his room. The game controller issue will be Shane and Anna's!!!

Nathan hasn't been around babies much but has been around a few younger kids. My niece and nephew mostly, who are currently 4 and 7. And their siblings. As well as his Uncle Nicky's (their dads) previous stepchildren, who were random ages but closer in age to Nathan than the current ones. So yes it will be fun to see him experience that lol

I think Shane will do ok with the baby. He has always liked little ones or at least been fascinated with them. But obviously he won't be here as much, as hell be otr.

I love sushi but it's so expensive. Hence getting it for the b-day. lol 😂

You have nothing to worryabout. You were a good mom and it shows in your kids. Sometimes our kids do things we think (know) they shouldn't but we're there to catch them if they fall. I wish any of my parents had een like that but none of them were. I alwayas had to catch myself which is why my kids know what to do if they find themselves in bad situations. I hate that they know that but it's better then them not knowing and then floundering when there's a baby or marriage on the lines. Ugh. I swear, being a mom is the hardest but most rewarding job on earth. :D

I don't think my mom ever said it but I knew I could always go home if I needed to I've tried to make it clear toy kids that my door is open. I may not be able to help financially but my door is open!! And thank you 😊 for the compliment about being a good mom.

Edit 530 Boy it's dark outside. I bet it rains again. It finally rained last night and a bit today. We have had almost a month or so of no rain til now!!!

Also Shane just called to say they are headed back this way finally. I don't like that they are doing this drive over night. I don't think they got enough sleep. Hopefully they will be smart and stop if they need to.

Aaahhh as I was typing it started raining

We need the rain, too. All we have up here is heat and humidity. XD

I have let my kids know that I may not be able to help financially but they will alway have a roof over their heads if they need one. So far, only the youngest has taken us up on that. (I would be heartbroken if he ever moved out though.) My parents never gave me the luxury. Which is one reason among many that I only talk to one of them now.

Sushi is on it's way so I'm cutting this short. I'm going to facetime my girls and then we're going to watch a movie. I hope the rain continues for you. The plants need it. Have a good evening. I'll talk to you to morrow. :D

hi I'm good thanks Happy Birthday enjoy your sushi and film :D

Mieke glad lily is enjoying her new job

Kat so glad Shane has got a new job with Ryan and glad the boys were able to get everything in the van and are on their way back

In this day and age it's almost impossible to support and live by yourself. Especially in the beginning with an entry level job. I am not looking forward to my youngest moving out either, tho I have a feeling one day he will.

Hi Chelle and thanks! Glad you've been well

Oh man, I have SO many birthday presents to catch up on! I hope you had a great birthday !

Kat, did they get home yet?

We had Akiras grad party yesterday, it POURED the entire time. All the teenagers and kids had fun playing and running aruond in the rain though, and playing in the creek. Except Iz, she sat with all the older people and played Uno with her aunt brenda :P

Today is Isabelles 11th birthday, which seems insaneeeee.

Also, I don't think my kids are ever going to move out, but I think I'm ready for it :P At least they're starting to pay for some of their own junk and stuff, because.. I just can't anymore. Sometimes I feel like it's so backwards, we're getting older and we have LESS money instead of more, it's just not right :/

Yes. Nathan got here around 9, Shane and Anna for here closer to 10. Nathan was driving the jeep and got a bit ahead of them. Anna and I just got back from returning the rental. And I think all of them plan to shower and sleep lol

Ohh a party in the rain lol no thanks. I would be like Iz Happy Birthday to her (Isabelle) by the way!!!

I am waiting on my kids (ok my boys) to pay for things for themselves....got to have jobs first. And believe me, they NEED to pay for things. Like you said I got older and got less money Tho in my case it was due to divorce and loss of my exs income lol And hopefully in two years that income will increase decently

Well, my birthday dinner went fabulously. I got a "rock and roll" handroll (fried rock oysters and rock shrimp) with a bento box full of crab handroll, shrimp teriyaki, and General Tso's chicken. I have to have my General Tso's along with the sushi on hmy b-day. I don't remember when the tradition started but I've been doing it for years. The General Tso's was a little peculiar considering it was made by a Japanese restaurant but it was still good. We watched "Undercover Brother" for the movie. I love that movie, it's very funny. My family got me some new cookware and a new crockpot which I think I told you about before because they love to give me my gifts early. But, they managed to surprise me with 2 more gifts. If you're a Terry Pratchet fan, you'll get these. One was a plushie of Granny Weatherwax's cat Greebo and the other was a silver necklace with a sign (engraved silver) that says "I ain't dead yet." I lost it with the last one. Apparently, I'm old enough now that I need a sign to let everyone know that they shouldn't be buryiing me just yet. 😂 It was a good day.

Kat, I'm glad every one is home and depleting your hot water as I type this. I am all for a generational household. I've actually told my youngest that he never needs to move out, that he can stay until he absolutely wants to leave. Hubby doesn't know this but I'll win that battle when/if it comes. I think more households should be generational as it provides a lot of benefits with little fuss.

Hi, Chelle, I'm glad you're doing well.

- Happy birthday to your Issabelle. Sorry the party got rained out. Glad they had fun anyways. :D

so glad you enjoyed your birthday dinner! Those sound like good presents, especially the necklace lol!!

Yes! The multigenerational household. I am hoping we can make that work with Shane and Anna but both of them have already said things about "our own place" - you can't get your own place right now why are you even thinking about it?? Its like they don't even REALIZE and they BOTH SHOULD by now, how much they need to get their own place. FIRST a working car. SECOND a rental downpayment (*first and last months rent! plus a pet deposit!) AND THEN utility down payments. STAY Here and save some money already. I need to talk to them, but yesterday was NOT the right day. Hopefully one day this week, as Shane goes for his drug test today but then its the holiday week, so he won't do anything else til next Monday.

Good Morning everyone!

Well, I walked out of my room (where I'd been listening to my latest smut book) and found my hubby and youngest arguing over whether to get Burger King, Taco Bell, or Dominos for dinner. I asked what the problem was and appareently my ydarling boy doesn't want us buying fast food from people who are opressing the Palestinians. facepalm I suggested Wendy's (they're pro-Palestinian) and thankfully they bboth agreed. Suddenly, my son has found an ideology he believes in whole-heartedly and expects everyone else to agree with it just because he does. I've tried to explain that it doesn't work that way but he won't listen. Stubborn.

I feel for your position, Kat. It's not easy to break that kind of reality to people. It's even harder to stand back and let them find out on their own while standing by to help. I also understand their viewpoint. They don't want to impose. I think it will be cleared up when you have the talk with them.

Good Afternoon, everyone. :D

Good Morning! And yes, I hope so, that it is cleared up and they understand they are so very welcome here. For many reasons. As long as they want to.

LOL on your youngest. As I said, I don't follow the news so who supports who or what doesn't mean anything to me unless you have proof that the specific WORKERS of a certain restaurant support that, I would say it should be ok to support THEM by eating at the establishment they work at ;) I get what he means tho, its more about the OWNERS but the workers can't help that and they need people to eat there to keep their jobs. Maybe that argument will help hahahah

I know it's only the second day here and I hope that it is that they are only still really tired....but if they aren't being woken by this puppy whining and crying, I am wondering id they will wake for the baby!!! She whines when they put her to bed (woke me up). She majorly whined again at 4am, woke ME up - don't know why as I refused to get up. Not my dog- and is whing now even tho I am awake and out here. She really wants attention and she knows what room they are in too so she's trying to get in there if I open the gate for down the hall She is finally starting to calm down with me out here tho I mean come on lol I had to pee and get dressed and take my blood pressure and medication and all that is in my bedroom now (the blood pressure and meds are on my desk so now that is back there since the desk is)

Oh dear heavy sleepers!! I do that too. I hope they'll wake for the baby. And that you can get to your medicine.

I am good ! Birthday day today so it's out to lunch and dinner! Hope you and the family are doing well also! And happy belated since I wasn't in the thread!! I'll plan to send something your way!!

Hi Beth! They left the puppy out in the livingroom in the crate last night, which I didn't realize at first. So that may have been partly why Anna at least didn't hear her. The previous nights the puppy had been in their bedroom. Anna says normally with the puppy in the room she's heard her and woken up.

Hahah I got my blood pressure taken and my medication too. It just was that I had to leave the puppy in the livingroom and listen to her whine while I did it :P I didn't hear her whine while I was in the shower tho hahahah I don't know if that is because someone else was awake or because she didn't whine :P

Today is your birthday Beth? You don't have the birthday cake icon on your name here ?? If so, Happy Birthday!!

It is my birthday yep! I can't figure out for the life of me why the icon isn't showing unless I put down my birthday wrong. This is my actual birthday. I do have the box checked. Leave it to me to not know something lol!

Yeah puppies and babies both have those lungs on them haha! I know with a baby in a crib they'd DEFINITELY wake up. Aww yeah puppies hate the crate. Ours whines and cries so much more when she is crated. Well I say "puppy" but she's 6 years old already.